Colleen Dewhurst facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Colleen Dewhurst
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|---|---|
| Born |
Colleen Rose Dewhurst
3 June 1924 |
| Died | 22 August 1991 (aged 67) South Salem, New York, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1952–1991 |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Partner(s) | Ken Marsolais (1975–1991; her death) |
| Children | 2, including Campbell Scott |
| Awards | |
| 11th President of the Actors' Equity Association | |
| In office 1985 – 1991 (died in the office) |
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| Preceded by | Ellen Burstyn |
| Succeeded by | Ron Silver |
Colleen Rose Dewhurst (born June 3, 1924 – died August 22, 1991) was a talented Canadian-American actress. She was especially famous for her work in theatre. She also acted in movies, early live TV shows, and plays for the New York Shakespeare Festival.
Many people remember her as Marilla Cuthbert in the TV series Anne of Green Gables and Road to Avonlea. She won two Tony Awards for her stage work and four Emmy Awards for her TV roles in the United States. In Canada, she won two Gemini Awards for playing Marilla Cuthbert. This role is probably her most well-known because the Anne of Green Gables series is still very popular.
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Early Life and Education
Colleen Dewhurst was born on June 3, 1924, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She was the only child of Frances Marie and Ferdinand Augustus "Fred" Dewhurst. Her father owned candy stores and was a famous football player in Canada.
Her family moved to the United States and became American citizens before 1940. Colleen's mother followed the Christian Science faith, which Colleen also believed in.
The Dewhurst family moved around a lot when Colleen was young. They lived in different parts of Massachusetts, then New York City, and later Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin. Colleen went to several high schools, graduating from Riverside High School in Milwaukee in 1942. After high school, she studied at Milwaukee-Downer College for two years. Then, she moved to New York City to start her acting career.
A Star on Stage and Screen
Colleen Dewhurst became very well-known for her acting. She often performed in plays by famous writer Eugene O'Neill. One of her most important theatre roles was in the 1974 play A Moon for the Misbegotten, where she played Josie Hogan. She won a Tony Award for this role. She had also won a Tony Award in 1961 for her part in All the Way Home.
She also performed in plays by William Shakespeare. She played Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra and Lady Macbeth in Lady Macbeth. Years later, she was Gertrude in Hamlet at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park.
Colleen Dewhurst also appeared in many TV shows and movies. In 1965, she was in an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. She acted with Ingrid Bergman in the Broadway play More Stately Mansions in 1967. She also worked with famous director José Quintero on O'Neill's plays.
She acted with her husband, George C. Scott, in a 1971 TV movie called The Price. They also appeared together in The Crucible. In 1977, she played Annie's mother in the movie Annie Hall, directed by Woody Allen.
Colleen Dewhurst was so busy with Off-Broadway plays that people called her the "Queen of Off-Broadway." She once wrote that this was because she moved quickly from one play to another, even if they didn't run for very long.
In movies, she played Mrs. Kate Collingwood in The Cowboys (1972), starring John Wayne. She also appeared with Wayne in the 1974 film McQ.
Her most famous role for many young people was Marilla Cuthbert in the 1985 TV adaptation of Anne of Green Gables. She played Marilla again in Anne of Avonlea (1987) and in several episodes of Road to Avonlea.
Colleen Dewhurst was still working on Road to Avonlea when she passed away in 1991. The show used old scenes and a body double to finish Marilla's story.
She also had a supporting role in the TV series Murphy Brown from 1989 to 1990, playing Avery Brown, the main character's mother. This role earned her two Emmy Awards, one of which she received after her death.
Colleen Dewhurst was also the president of the Actors' Equity Association from 1985 until she died. This organization helps actors with their rights and working conditions. She was the first president of this group to pass away while still in office.
Personal Life
Colleen Dewhurst was married to James Vickery from 1947 to 1960. She later married and divorced actor George C. Scott twice. They had two sons, Alexander Scott and actor Campbell Scott. She even acted with Campbell in the 1991 movie Dying Young, which was one of her last film roles.
In her later years, she lived on a farm in South Salem, New York. She also had a summer home on Prince Edward Island, Canada.
Colleen Dewhurst passed away in 1991 at her home in South Salem, New York, at the age of 67, due to an illness.
Awards and Recognition
During her long career, Colleen Dewhurst received many awards for her acting.
- She won the Sarah Siddons Award in 1974 for her theatre work in Chicago.
- She won two Tony Awards for her roles on Broadway.
- She received two Obie Awards for her Off-Broadway performances.
- She won two Gemini Awards for her role as Marilla Cuthbert in Canada.
- In 1989, she won a Genie Award for her supporting role in the film Hitting Home.
- Out of 13 Emmy Award nominations, she won four Emmy Awards for her TV work.
- She was recognized for her amazing contributions to theatre by being inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1981.
Here are some of the awards she won:
- 1961: Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play - All the Way Home
- 1974: Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play - A Moon for the Misbegotten
- 1986: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie - Between Two Women
- 1989: Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series - Murphy Brown: "Mama Said"
- 1989: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie - Those She Left Behind
- 1991: Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series - Murphy Brown: "Bob and Murphy and Ted and Avery"
Images for kids
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Colleen Dewhurst (right) in The Big Valley with Barbara Stanwyck (left) and Michael Burns in 1966.
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Colleen Dewhurst's summer home at Fortune Bridge, Prince Edward Island.
See also
In Spanish: Colleen Dewhurst para niños
